[Triton Territory]

He’s a royal…

Queen said can’t eat him.

Use him for flesh!

Sweet blood… others… not so much.

He smells dryad…

We prepare… We prepare for feast!

Suho paced around the jail that was in the sunken ship as the male sirens flocked in front of the cage, waiting for the time to eat all of them. Kyungsoo was beside Sehun, the male growing kelp aggressively from his fingers and placing it on Sehun’s bleeding abdomen. Their actions were slowed by the water.

“It’s good it’s not deep, Senior,” Jaehyun said to Sehun who nodded. “They can tell by your blood that you’re a royal. I think they’ll not do anything to you.”

“They’ll probably use Sehun as leverage to get human flesh every month,” Baekhyun continued. “When they get us out of here to eat us; can’t you use your passive skill and turn invisible, Sehun? You’re a hybrid but I have never seen you use your passive, even for duels.”

“They still see me if I turn invisible, Baekhyun. I don’t disappear fully; they’ll still see the outline. And I don’t use my passive skill because it takes too much energy and drains me out. I can’t turn invisible and use my powers at the same time. I’m not Doyoung from NCT. That guy can vanish in thin air because it’s his only skill.” Sehun explained patiently, his eyes rolling to the back of his head as Kyungsoo wound more kelp on his wound. , it was painful.

Suho was deep in thought and Sehun sighed, telling his senior to sit down and stop swimming around but Suho was ridden by anxiety.

“They’ll come and get us when they know the bubble will pop,” Suho said to them. “I hope Kris comes and brings us back up. He would, wouldn’t he?”

“I think we have to think of a plan of what to do. I can’t just keep throwing boulders at them,” Johnny said. “How about your animals, Jaehyun? Did it work?”

“I think it did,” Jaehyun replied. “I felt something but I’m also not sure.” The male let out a sigh, closing his eyes. “I’ll try again but it’ll take time. And even when they come, we need to find a way to unlock the jail and be out by that time. We also have to find the staff—”

“So many things to do, so little time—” Sehun said when he yowled, his hand grabbing his arm.

“Wha-What wrong?” Kyungsoo asked, flailing his hands, his eyes on Sehun who was gripping his arm. “Why hurt your arm?”

“No idea,” Sehun muttered, but his mind went onto Harin. Something was happening to her. He could feel it. He bit his lip and it didn’t take more than twenty minutes when a wave of intense pain went through his body. “!”

“Sehun, what’s wrong?” Suho asked, grabbing Sehun who was wrenching in pain. “Where are you hurting?”

“Ev…Everywhere.” Sehun panted. “Something is happening to Ong Harin. I feel her pain—”

“I thought you said she was just being dramatic and she was on her period!” Baekhyun cried, but was now on his feet.

“I lied! Something’s happening to her,” Sehun mumbled when he felt shots of pain ride up his skin.

“She’s with Arielle in the City of Libros, Senior. What would happen to her?” Johnny asked, and Sehun fisted his hands, his fingers running over a small ring on his pinky.

He had a feeling, but he wasn’t one to jump to conclusions… until the ring glowed. A few strings of cursed words left his lips, leaving the people with him to look at him with curiosity.

“I told her not to do anything stupid!” Sehun yelled out, frustrated before standing up. The ring on his pinky glowing.

“What do you mean?” Suho asked, perplexed at the angry Sehun.

“Ong Harin,” Sehun replied. “She’s here.”

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I could see well in the dark and the deep blue sea had things I wasn’t aware of. My fins were strong and scales went up my back over my shoulder as it covered my s. Only the area between my s and my belly button was exposed.

At least I wouldn’t be fully when I see the boys. As I followed their voices, I saw that the necklace on my neck began to glow softly. Taken aback, I gripped it and it shone in my hand.

What— What in the world did Eunwoo gift me?

I heard the sounds of the sirens talk to each other, the water vibrating with the sounds that trailed from their ugly lips… that I now had. I could smell blood as I edged closer and shuddered at the thought of eating them, as tempting as it was. As a siren, I could tell it was Sehun’s blood as it lingered in the air and my stomach turned as fangs began to protrude.

No. I can’t. Self-control. Self-control!

He’s a royal.

Queen said can’t eat him and the prince.

Use him for flesh!

We guard the sunken ships… Prisoners in sunken ships…

FEAST!

I swam away from them, the necklace’s glow suddenly disappearing. I frowned down at it and swam towards the sunken ships, the glowing of the necklace coming back. Was the necklace supposed to lead me to them?

Oh Sehun. He gave me the necklace, didn’t he? Was it to find him? How did he know that I would be underwater to find him? So many questions that I didn’t know if I would be able to ask. I swam past one of the sunken ships, my eyes catching a glimpse of Suho’s face bobbing through the metal bars. Everyone looked very stressed out and I saw Jaehyun, his eyes closed and his mouth muttering words.

He must be trying to call the animals, I thought to myself. How about Sehun? Was he fine? I moved a bit closer, peeking through the back of the sunken ships to see Sehun moving around constantly. A ring on his little finger shone and the light that radiated from it was similar to the necklace that was on my neck.

So, he did give it to me.

“What do you mean, ‘Ong Harin is here’?” Suho asked, frowning and Sehun sighed.

“I thought she would be coming underwater with us and I know usually sirens come and take the women away to bite them. So, I charmed the necklace so I would be able to find her, if that ever happened. My Uncle Shun taught it to me, just basic magic… and a little bit more.” Sehun paused. “And now my ring is glowing—it means, she’s here.”

What does it mean, “and a little bit more”? I looked down on the necklace that was glowing in bright intervals now that I was closer to Sehun.

“Why I no have that?” Kyungsoo mumbled and I paused to listen, hiding behind the ship.

“There is simply no way for her to be here. There were no bubble rocks left.” Baekhyun said to Sehun. “Your ring is probably broken from being underwater for too long. We have to focus on finding the staff first then finding a way out. The water is playing tricks on us.”

The staff!

I forgot all about The Staff of Moses.

Deciding to find the staff first, I swam away from them, the glowing on my necklace disappearing. Where would I put a staff if I was a queen? I hid behind a sunken ship when I saw three male sirens swim past, their voices excited from the feast they were going to get in a few hours.

Not over my dead body.

Queen says we need to guard staff.

Prisoners are there.

They can’t find a way out.

Poor them… Human flesh….

For some reason, their talking made me shiver and even my lips were beginning to chatter at the thought of human flesh. I craved it so much, my fingers balling into a tight fist so I could regain my sanity and not think like one of them.

I need to follow those two, they said they would guard the staff. They would lead me to it. I stealthily followed them, my hair pulling back and floating in the water as my fins took me towards them. I kept a good distance away when I saw them approach one of the oldest looking ships around the area. It was huge, the smell of rotten wood and rusted iron reached my nostrils.

The sirens were still talking and I saw them waddle through the water gracefully, their bald male siren heads bobbing slightly as they danced in victory of the meal they were going to get. They were right in front of the entrance of the front of the ship and I decided that I would try to test my luck.

Pushing myself toward, I swam towards them just to see them pause when they saw me. They’re beady eyes scanned my features and I smiled, my teeth showing. They didn’t react, floating mid-water until I reached them.

How was I supposed to flirt?

Hello. Hello. Why not above sea?

Hunting? She’s not hunting? Why she not hunting?

They whispered in front of me and I remembered that women sirens were meant to hunt for men and lure them in while men stayed at base. I put on my best smirk, turning my head to the side so my bare neck would be exposed. They stared at me when I spoke.

“Queen Erzula has—” Wait, they spoke Exodian but their words were clipped. They reminded me of Kyungsoo when he talked. I cleared my throat, smiling sweetly. I could do this. Speaking like Kyungsoo was something I have mastered by being with him so much. “Must take staff. Queen needs for feast. Celebration!”

With that, I turned around to show how happy I was and the two sirens smiled deviously; their teeth showing. They followed my actions, flipping their fins and turning around in the water as they cheered. I saw that one of them had keys and it shone a dull grey.

Celebration!

Well, someone give me an Oscar.

They nodded and gave way to me as I kept a smile on my face and swam in, my fins going into the huge sunken boat. I looked around and gasped, the amount of treasure at the bottom of the sea. There were piles of ruby, gold, and silver just glittering in the dark. No, I mustn’t get distracted. Swimming past the trunks of treasure, I saw a wooden staff in the middle of the ship. It looked so plain in the midst of all the gold, the wood frail and delicate at touch.

I was about to reach out and grab it when I heard another siren call out for the two guards.

Azuul, we need to see Queen.

Wait, someone inside to take staff to Queen.

Who?

Girl.

Why?

Queen asked.

Queen never ask.

Azuul!

I grabbed the staff, whipping around just to see the siren swim into the room where I was at. His beady eyes narrowed and he opened his mouth menacingly to me before he pointed at the staff in my hand. With a growl, he shot himself towards, his fins bringing him towards me with immense speed. I was blocked between him and a wall of rotting wood and before I knew it, he was slamming against me.

I tried to push him away, the siren grabbing my neck with both hands to strangle me when I gasped, my throat closing. My fins flapped and I grabbed his arm, closing my eyes to concentrate and before I knew it, I felt his soul leave his body into my hands. I dragged my hand away from him, his soul in my palm; the color dark green.

What an ugly color.

His body fell limp in my arms, and I stumbled at the sudden heaviness. When I pushed him away, I saw that his lips were lifeless and his face was frozen in a scream—exactly just like when I took his soul away. I held his soul in my hands when a sound came and I was faced with two angry sirens.

Azuul! Why must you perish at a time like this!

It’s okay… more food for me.

First, we kill her! Newly turned siren. Not one of us.

Not Exodian. Elven? Elven?

Not Elven blood.

Similar! Similar!

Why were they saying I was similar to Elven? I frowned and they came barreling towards me, their faces streaked with ferocity when I found myself growling at them. They grabbed my hair, pulling my head back while the other snatched my fin and pulled. I found them pulling me painfully apart and my fin flapped. I looked up to see the scary face of the siren about to attack mine when I grabbed the hand that was tugging on my hair.

With a woosh, he too, fell limp and collapsed onto the floor of the sunken ship. The one by my fin paused, his eyes trying to analyze the situation when he bolted, his body zooming away.

No, I couldn’t let him get away. He would tell everyone.

I sped after him, my fins waving violently back and forth so I could gain speed and after a final surge; I was able to grab his fin and pull him back towards me. His mouth opened to let out a high-pitched scream when I dragged his soul out of his body just to see his dead corpse fall down onto the ocean bed. I threw his soul away, the dark green ball dissipating into nothing.

I was killing them but I didn’t feel any remorse. I hope that it was the siren part of me. With a tug, I dragged his dead body to be put with the other two sirens I had murdered in the sunken ship.

Grabbing The Staff of Moses and the keys to the jail that one of the sirens were holding, I thought quickly and headed towards the prisons where my friends and seniors were, the keys clanging by my side and the staff held under my arm. I heard a soft neigh sound from behind me and when I whipped my head around, I was pretty sure I saw a splash of glittering gold.

Was I out of my mind now?

I peeked at the area and saw that there was no one, grabbing the keys and moving to the front of the prison where Sehun and the rest were; my necklace glowing a bright white light.

“Ong Harin!” Kyungsoo exclaimed when he saw me, fumbling for the keys. “Why you are fish!”

“Hey. I came to get you guys out,” I said, trying the keys on the lock. Sehun had stood up and approached the railings, a hand snaking in between the railings to cup my face up. I saw his face painted with worry as he glazed his eyes over my face to look for marks. “Hey, Oh Sehun.”

“I knew you were here. How did you—Are you hurt?” he asked, his eyes going to my lack of legs. “What are you—I. Goddamnit, Ong Harin.”

“No. And—”

“I will kill Arielle when I see her!” I heard Suho growl under his breath when he spotted me. “She bit you, didn’t she? How long do you have?”

“What do you mean, how long does she have?” Baekhyun interjected and Suho gave out a sigh.

“Two hours, Senior,” I told Suho, turning to Baekhyun after that. “Two hours and if I don’t get out of the water and vomit the venom out, I’m going to be a siren for life.”

“What? Harin become fish?” Kyungsoo gasped, shaking his head. “Oh no. Bad, Ong Harin. Very bad.”

“That’s why we need to hurry. I got the staff. Let’s get you out of here and leave.” My hands shook and Sehun didn’t say anything. Johnny and Jaehyun were now standing, their eyes behind me when Suho told me to freeze.

“Harin. Stop moving.”

“Senior, we don’t have time.” I turned back to see a fish that was staring at us; it’s body was similar to a puffer fish. It was staring at me and I turned back to just to find out that the key I was holding was the perfect match for the lock.

“Harin… Don’t move.”

“Senior, it’s just a fish,” I told him, opening the rusted lock just when a high-pitched scream sounded and when I looked back, it was the fish. It had enlarged, its eyes blazing red as it started barreling towards me. Sehun raised a hand and wind shot out from his palm, the fish rolling backward as it floated away.

But the damage was done and the sound had attracted attention.

“What was that?” I asked, Suho looking worried.

“That was the alarm system.”

“You guys have an alarm system?” I asked, shocked.

“My mother may be evil, but she’s not stupid, Harin,” Suho said and I realized that he was right. I passed the staff over to Jaehyun who caught it. “We need to leave. Jaehyun, the animals.”

“I know they’re coming but—”

They’re getting away.

They’re getting away.

She killed Azuul, Dular and Vakmu! We need to kill her!

Newly turned… Elven? Smells like Elven.

Not Elven but similar—

There it was again! I thought to myself as the rest floated behind me. I was not Elven! I was Gaian!

The male sirens were looking at us hungrily.

We eat them before they leave.

I agree—We eat everyone except Royal and Prince Suho.

Attack!

It all happened so fast and before we knew it, they began swimming towards us in a frenzy, Sehun letting out a blast of wind through his palms to push them away. I turned to see the color of a gold fin swimming behind the sunken ships but didn’t give it much thought when Jaehyun threw the staff to Baekhyun when a siren tried to grab it, the latter catching it. Jaehyun stood behind Kyungsoo, his eyes closed.

“Attack them!” Sehun said to Johnny, Kyungsoo growing kelp over with his hands before throwing them out. Sehun pushed the kelp with his wind and it flew towards the sirens, the kelp wrapping around the sirens to restrain them.

“Jaehyun—the animals!”

“They’re coming!” Jaehyun yelled out, hiding behind Johnny who had grabbed one of the sirens and squeezed its frail neck before shoving his fist into its mouth. Its teeth did do anything to his skin and Johnny used both hands to snap its neck.

Baekhyun threw the staff to me, a hand shooting light into one of the sirens. The siren closed its eyes, flustered by the brightness and Baekhyun lifted up one leg with difficulty and kicked it away. I threw back the staff to Baekhyun who barely caught it.

Suho was sending wave after wave of water out to them, trying to keep them away from us.

His powers kept them away, long enough for Sehun to close his eyes, his hands close to each other before he began focusing. A siren swam towards him and I growled, blocking the siren from Sehun. I tackled it to the ground of the seabed.

“DO NOT TOUCH HIM!” I screeched to the siren, slapping the creature across the face as my fingers dug against its skin.

I turned to see Sehun smirk, the wind in his palms turning into an underwater whirlpool. I felt the siren swim away, Sehun sending the whirlpool towards them. Suho pushed the water with his hands, directing Sehun’s whirlpool towards the sirens when I heard them speak.

The girl—the necklace. The ring.

Paired. Paired with the Royal.

It's charmed. Both paired.            

Girl is his property. Royal property

What did they mean I was “his property”? Was that what Sehun meant when he said he did “and a little bit more” to the necklace? That the necklace would show that I was paired to him? In the midst of the fight, I forgot what I was doing and turned to Sehun, placing my hands on my hips.

“You charmed the necklace to show that we’re paired?!” I barked at him, bubbles coming out from my mouth in fury. “Who gave you permission to do that?”

“Ong Harin—We’re in a fight—Careful!” A siren grabbed my hair and Sehun was about to use his powers when I turned around and clawed the eye of the siren, the siren howling in pain.

“I am not your property, Oh Sehun!” I yelled at him, pressing my nails down on the siren's eyes until I blinded it. Blood filled the waters and the smell of siren blood was making me turn into a blood frenzy.

“Can we fight about this later, Gaian? We’re pretty busy!” Sehun told me when I growled at him.

“Ong Harin. You scary.” Kyungsoo mumbled, making boulders surrounding us when the staff flew from person to person except Suho and Sehun who were actively using their powers when the staff then flew away from us.

I looked up to see Queen Erzula stand there. She had sprouted another tail. She had three tails and reminded me of the Starbucks coffee logo, and the color of her eyes were scary as she bared her teeth. No wonder Ursula in the “Little Mermaid” had tentacles—Actually, it was three tails.

She had her hand up as she summoned The Staff of Moses, the staff flying to her when Suho yelled.

“No!”

With that, Suho lifted a hand and suddenly The Staff of Moses halted. A flash of bright light from the staff began to glow, Suho’s hand up as he tried to bring the staff back to him.

Wow. How was he able to do that? I asked myself, all of us watching Suho try to stop the staff from reaching his mother.

“Suho! Without the staff, I will age and die,” his mother hissed, her eyes going dark. “Do you want to see your mother die?”

“I couldn’t care less,” Suho hissed back. Harsh. His eyes were dark blue now and never have I seen Suho so… intense. The staff was mid-water and the glow brightened, his mother lifting her hand higher as she tried to summon the staff towards her with all her might.

“If you bring the staff up to land and bind with it… If you wield it, one day you will have to lead the sirens! You will rule with the half-blood!” Queen Erzula cried out and Suho groaned, using all the power he had. “Once you bind with the staff, your prophecy will start and you will have to come back and rule the seas, Suho. You are the prince of the sirens!”

Rule with the half-blood? Does that mean Arielle?

“I refuse to lead those who kill!” Suho yelled back and the staff almost broke but both of them did not give up. His mother’s eyes changed to a bright green and suddenly the sirens turned to us; their eyes green too. “You tricked my father. You took advantage of me and tried to bring me back to sea when land is where I belong. I have no intention of ruling this place!”

“I will not let you take the staff and abandon your people.” She seethed, her eyes on us before she turned to the sirens. “Eat them—”

Suho yelled out, raising his hand and the staff broke into half, the top part shooting towards him. As the sirens were about to attack us, Jaehyun yelled out.

“They’re here! Get ready!”

I watched as the staff that was in Suho’s hand began to glow, strings of light circling around his arms.

“SUHO! GIVE IT BACK TO ME!” Queen Erzula howled, her gaze on the staff that was beginning to let out pulsing waves of water from Suho. Suho wretched and before we knew it, the sirens were about to attack him when Suho ed up the staff and the sirens were all thrown backwards.

“They’re here!” Jaehyun yelled again and a familiar sound reached my ears. A soft neigh sounded and I saw huge seahorses swimming towards us against the current of Suho’s powers. They were white and had a crest on their fins. I watched Sehun grab the sea horses, mounting it like the rest of us when I felt a siren grab my necklace. With a hiss, I scratched the siren when I felt the necklace slip from my neck.

Without much thought, I began to swim up. My body was slowly feeling more accustomed to being a siren and I knew that was a bad thing. I felt energy leave my body as I tried to swim as fast as I could, scared of the time limit that came with me having fins.

Sehun grabbed my hand and dragged me with him, the seahorses rising the waves; neighing softly at the impact of the water above us.

“Bring them back!” I heard Queen Erzula’s shrill scream yell out and behind us the sirens tried to follow us. They had the speed, Suho shooting out water with the staff towards them, some of them blown away from the water. My lungs burned and I knew my time was coming to an end.

“Oh Sehun...” I rasped and Sehun looked at me through his bubble head, his eyebrows furrowing. “I don’t think I’ll make it.”

Sehun didn’t say anything, turning back to the seahorse and tapping its side to increase the speed we were going at. The sirens did not give up, following us up. The color of my surroundings began to change and it was no longer dark blue but lighter; a sign that we were almost up to the surface of the water.

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